Final Thoughts With Paige Duke and Jeremiah James Korfe, "Sweet Home Alabama"

As the filming of the Finale came to a close, Paige Duke walked off the set of the third season of CMT's Sweet Home Alabama with her soul mate, Jeremiah James Korfe.

The Monday after the Finale aired, the happy couple shared their thoughts with me on the season and what they've experienced since they left Alabama.

Screencap courtesy of Bachelor Spoiler Fans

The day of the interview, they had their first 'normal' day together as a functional couple. Jeremiah explained, "It's beyond words, really, because unless you felt it and been in this situation, there are no words for it."


For three months they had to keep their love story under wraps. To spend time with each other, Paige drove late at night, wore dark glasses and even hid in Jeremiah's house when someone dropped in.


Since the Finale aired, they can now do those little things that we all take for granted...stop for gasoline together in broad daylight, visit the local coffee shop, celebrate with friends and family and share their first dance as a couple. They can finally start living their daily lives together and it's given them a new sense of freedom.


Looking Back at Sweet Home Alabama

Going into the situation, Jeremiah said he didn't know who the girl was. "I had never watched the show before, so I had no idea". When Paige stepped out of the truck, he was definitely attracted to her. "She was so pretty, and then the first thing she says is that she has been praying about it. That's something that is very important to me."  After their first date he felt the connection with her and started wondering, "Good grief, is this possible? I'm almost 30 years old and I haven't had a feeling like this since the first time holding a girl's hand when you're literally 12 years old." Jeremiah never thought it would happen again, because he thought it was an emotion you felt as a child. So to be feeling it with Paige Duke, in this situation, left him trying to decipher if it was real.

In reflecting on the season and how everything lined up for her and Jeremiah, Paige said, "This is the reason I lost my job, which was terrible, and I got my job with Kruger Farms. This is why I'm up in Minnesota. God is just going to make it easier for us to be together."

Paige and Jeremiah's Version of "The Notebook"

Screencap courtesy of Bachelor Spoiler Fans

Paige talked about the letters she got from Jeremiah. "I kept reading them over and over, word for word. I've never been so excited and it's like what you feel in middle school and you never want to lose that feeling. But then you grow older and get a little jaded and you go through experiences and you get hurt. You feel like well, maybe that feeling is just something you feel when you're 12 and you never get to feel it again. How sad is that? But then I felt that with him! Now it was, oh my gosh! I couldn't believe it!"

At the time, Jeremiah didn't know if Paige got his letters because they weren't able to talk about it. "I wanted to ask her, but I couldn't. I got in trouble for doing it because it is a TV show. I felt bad for compromising production." 

Paige also wrote letters to Jeremiah. In her first letter she told him, "I'm going to write you every night so when you're watching this show, as you're watching each episode, you can read my letters and know what I was thinking and how I was feeling." It was the most amazing thing Paige could have done. Watching the episodes, Jeremiah could see how easy it would have been to fall for the story line. Without the letters to read, it would have been so hard for Jeremiah to watch it unfold and believe Paige didn't have feelings for the other guys. Even with the letters, there were times he just couldn't watch. Paige understood how difficult it would be for him to watch her kissing his friends.

Jeremiah's Reflections

Screencap courtesy of Bachelor Spoiler Fans

Jeremiah admits that being put in a situation that was so unstable, was a bit nerve racking for him. He came across as being afraid to commit to Paige. "But the reality of it is, I knew exactly what I wanted. I knew exactly how my family had raised me to treat a woman, how a functioning relationship is never going to be a perfect thing, but yet you build it with that other person. I'm just so excited, because I really have found the woman I've been praying for and I'm so in love with her."

Jeremiah's goal for the whole show was to keep his head down. The one time he encountered something, it was shown. It was hard for him to see how he came across on that episode. "What made me feel so bad, I guess, is you work so hard on your character and really wanting to be an example to even my nephews and nieces." Without having the whole picture about what went down in the house that night, people judged him, calling him an alcoholic and abusive.

Paige added, "Jeremiah has worked on reality TV shows before and he knows how it works. He was very paranoid, because he knows what can happen to someone on reality TV and then that's how the world is going to perceive them. He knows he was opening up to me on paper and not in front of the cameras. He knows he made it hard for the producers and they still have to make a good show. He understands he was probably a headache to work with."

The Finale and After

Although Jeremiah did ask to go first to see Paige at the Finale, it could have been edited differently. Viewers were outraged at having the Finale end with the guy that Paige sent home. It compromised the integrity of the show. This was Paige Duke's journey and fans felt she was robbed of the ending of her love story. Jeremiah was disheartened for Paige, but said, "At this point, we got what we've got and it's awesome. But from a viewer standpoint, I can see how that would be frustrating."

Screencap courtesy of Bachelor Spoiler Fans

After the Finale was over, Paige and Jeremiah spent one day together. "I asked him to change his flight so we could hang out, because I was going to be there one extra day. That's when we gave each other the notes. It was such a fun day and so special to be able to read them."

When they parted, Jeremiah flew home to Clarissa, MN and Paige to Lancaster, SC. It was a week before Paige flew to Minnesota to spend time with Jeremiah and meet his family. Then they flew to Lancaster for New Year's to meet her family. She added, "They all love him".

Since the show ended, Paige and Jeremiah have maintained friendships with the guys on her season. The guys can see Paige and Jeremiah's connection and have moved on with their lives.

Screencap courtesy of Bachelor Spoiler Fans

Being on CMT's Sweet Home Alabama has opened up opportunities for Paige and Jeremiah. On Sunday, they walked the red carpet for the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas. Paige was beautiful in a white Jovani Fashions dress with her favorite pair of  turquoise Corral boots. Jeremiah was rocking it in his signature blue and white bandanna and Justin boots.

As I watched the awards, I couldn't help compare Jeremiah James Korfe and his band  From Joyce with the artists that performed live onstage. What sets Jeremiah apart, is the passion you feel in his music. It's in the words, in the melody and in his voice. It grabs you deep inside and it makes you feel.

That is exactly why Paige Duke fell in love with and chose Jeremiah James Korfe on Season 3 of Sweet Home Alabama. He made her feel.

Best wishes to Paige and Jeremiah in your next chapter, Sweet Home Minnesota.  Thank you for sharing what many consider to be, the greatest love story ever told.